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Ingredients 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 onion, fine dice 2 carrots, fine dice 3 celery, fine dice 1 head fennel, chopped 5 garlic cloves, crushed 6 sprigs thyme Large pinch chili flakes ¼ C. Pernod or other dry anise liquor 28 oz can crushed tomatoes 4 C. fish stock 2 bay leaves 1 # mussels (in shell for seasoning) 1 # shrimp 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley salt and pepper Crusty Bread to serve Preparation Heat the oil in a stockpot and saute the onion, carrot, celery, and fennel until soft.  Next add the garlic, thyme and chili flakes and cook until the garlic is fragrant, 2-3 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the pernod and burn off the alcohol. Next, add the tomatoes, fish stock, bay leaves and mussels, and season with salt and pepper Bring to a boil, and then cover and reduce heat to a simmer.  Let simmer for 20-30 minutes. After the stew has simmered, remove the cover and remove the mussels shells and discard.  Most of the mussels meat will fall out into the stew and this is ok. Add the shrimp to the stew now and simmer gently until the shrimp are just cooked.  Add the parsley and check again for salt and pepper.  Serve with crusty bread.

Ingredients: · ¼ pound bacon, diced · 1 large onion, finely diced · 3 shallots, chopped · 2 to 4 tablespoons butter, as needed · 2 pounds beef chuck, in 1-inch cubes · 4 tablespoons flour · ½ cup cognac, madeira or sherry · Salt and freshly ground black pepper · ¾ cup red wine · 2 1/2 cups beef stock · ½ cup Dijon mustard · 4 tablespoons whole-grain mustard · 4 springs thyme, whole · 4 large carrots, peeled and cut into half-moon slices · 1 pound mushrooms, stemmed, cleaned and quartered Preparation 1. Place bacon in pressure cooker on brown setting and cook until fat is rendered. Remove solid pieces with a slotted spoon and set aside. Change to saute setting and add onion and shallots. Cook until softened but not browned, 10 to 15 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a large bowl. 2. If necessary, add 2 tablespoons butter to the pan to augment fat. Dust beef cubes with flour, and season with salt and pepper. Shake off excess flour and place half the cubes in the pan. Cook on brown until well browned, almost crusty, on all sides, then transfer to a bowl with onions. Repeat with remaining beef. Add remaining flour and cook until starches are cooked out. 3. Add cognac, madeira or sherry to the empty pan, and cook, stirring, until the bottom is deglazed and the crust comes loose. Add stock, wine, thyme and mustards. Whisk to blend, then return bacon pieces, meat and onion mixture to pan. Bring to high pressure and cook for 30 minutes. Quick release pressure. 4. Add carrots and mushrooms. Bring to high pressure and cook for additional 10 minutes. Let pressure naturally release and enjoy!

I have a lot to say this week, so if you're not interested in hilarity, vicariously living out our vacation or learning about dining out and how a restaurant SHOULD work, well...turn back now. For those of you who've decided to take the plunge, hold on. It's a snow-covered, icy ride. And that's how we started. We left for an easy drive to Mt. Princeton Hot Springs Resort early Monday morning to try to beat the snow. And it almost worked. Until we were about 20 miles out. You see, they were calling for a blizzard and up to 12" in the mountains. To back track a bit, we decided I would drive. My car is a little sturdier in the snow and my inner MN girl still loves to drive in the snow. Dave hates it. Really, truly hates it. So when we hit that 20 mile mark and I was driving closer to the center lane or off to the side to get better traction and off the ice he pulled the classic lean to the other side of the car move. You know, to balance out the weight of my 5,600 pound Sequoia and keep it firmly planted on the road. Thankfully it seemed to work and combined with my Minnesotan roots we prevailed and powered through. We had grand plans of spending the evening at the Lariat for live music and their New Year's party, but once the snow started coming down we knew there was no way we were driving into town and back that night. So Dave called to make a reservation for the Mt. Princeton New Year's Dinner. Sold out. Very sold out, with a waitlist. They told him there was no way we would make the list. Dave was not happy - I had told him that we probably didn't need to call the day before (whoops...). But I am not easily deterred, so I called back. And I got the nicest lady on the phone who said she would try her very hardest and let us know if there were cancellations. And that she would write GUESTS!! on the waitlist since guests have preference. Kindness always wins. We had a lovely 5-7 minute conversation about anything and nothing and we moved on with our day. Just to be certain that we were covered for SOMETHING for New Year's Dinner, we stopped at the local grocery. And these two chefs that you know and love picked up cold cuts, hoagie rolls and condiments. Yep, that was our big backup plan for New Year's Dinner. Then we headed from BV to Mt Princeton. Dave's winter driving fears were realized as we came down the windy, twisting road into the hot springs. But, again we made it safely and even picked up a couple who abandoned their car to walk the last 1.5 miles. It was that hairy. And I loved it ;) The resort was wonderful and got us checked in early, so we headed to our room. And my grand plan was to work for a bit, then off we would go to the hot springs. Only their wifi is terrible. Which was wonderful. No laptop or phones in the room. HEAVEN. So off we went. After steaming and hot spring-ing our afternoon away we came back to a ringing phone with Gary the restaurant manager letting me know that they squeezed us in - at 5:40. You're an angel, Gary!! No hoagies for us! And now the story really starts. I'm going to depart from the vacation (hot springs, nap, steam room, more hot springs, repeat...) and move onto our dining experiences, because they deserve it. We arrived at our 5:40 reservation right on time. I'll be honest, our expectations for the evening were not high, but we were so happy to have reservations that it didn't even matter. They had a lovely 4-course tasting menu for the special night. And it looked great until the air quotes started. Beef "Wellington", "Jardiniere", "butter"??? We hate to be those people at a restaurant, but please remember that both Dave & I have spent many years of our careers writing menus. And air quotes have special meaning. For more on that read Dave's (click here) when you're done with this one. It's worth it. I feel terrible about this, but we never got our server's name. And he made our night. He greeted us, then speedily rushed us into ordering drinks and food in a happy and peaceful manner. I had to ask about the "Wellington". I wanted it, but fear won out. And after I saw it, I know I made the right decision. Again, click here to read more about that on Dave's blog. I ended up bemusedly ordering the Corvina Sea Bass. I just used corvina two weeks ago in a class, and it is not a sea bass. Not sure what I was going to get, I was pleasantly surprised with sea bass and definitely not corvina (which is not quite as nice). Our food was wonderful, from start to finish. Big kudos to their kitchen. But my very favorite part of the dining experience was our server. He was so earnest, sweet and lovely. My favorite part of the evening was when he just walked up to our table and said (with no context): "I like to write myself a letter at the end of tonight every year, then read it on the following New Year. I'm going to read mine tonight." Both Dave and I awkwardly thought he was about to read us his letter. But no. Phew. He was just encouraging us to do the same. Then somehow he asked what we do for a living and we told him. Gulp. I think we made him nervous. There were things lacking - food & wine knowledge, timing, etc. But his attitude was so amazing and his overall demeanor so endearing that we loved every minute of it. We left fat and happy. So fat and happy that we promptly fell asleep at 7pm and missed the New Year's Party and festivities. But I'm a-ok starting our year off with sleep! Cue breakfast... We slept for 9 hours and woke up HUNGRY!! So off to the restaurant (yep, same one) for breakfast. By the way, it's a stunning dining room with an amazing setting. So the crisp, snowy setting was beautiful. And here we go again...Our server was the very same woman that I had talked to on the day before and the one that had worked so hard to get us a reservation. She was lively, hilarious and a great start to the day. Dave said something to her that prompted the south and one of our favorite interactions of the whole trip started: Her: "I should know, I'm from the south." Dave, "Oh, Where are you from in the south?" Her, "I'm not from the south." ...Who's on first, anyone?? And because we can't let things go and HAVE to ask questions we now know that when she got her very first smart phone for some reason she searched Venice, Louisiana. And it just showed a tiny shrimping town. So she decided the smart phone must not be showing everything in the town, so she picked up and moved there to find out. The smart phone was right, that was all there was. So now she's back. And have you ever seen an alligator gar? It's the freakiest fish she's ever seen. Here's a picture. You're welcome. And yeah, we left and Googled Venice, LA. Better her than me... Whew. I needed a massage after that. Off we go. After some more hot springs, we're hungry again and ready for lunch. I blame the mountain air. So we're off to the restaurant. Again. And Gary is still there - does the man ever leave? This time it seems like all chaos has ensued. Our breakfast server is headed home as we head to our table. Time for a new experience! This time our server seems frazzled and stressed, but pleasant. We order. I ordered a BLT and Onion Rings (don't judge, it isn't nice). Dave ordered soup and a salad. Show off. Our food comes and my desired onion rings have been replaced with soup. I point it out and she heads back to the kitchen. Again, one of my favorite moments of the trip. She comes back and says that the kitchen ran out of onion rings. I've worked in many a kitchen. Generally when that happens you go back to the table, inform them, then let them order a different side of their choosing. Instead, I got soup. I still have a vision in my head of our server and a cook having a conversation that ends with "She looks like she likes soup. Give her soup." The soup was great, and they unwittingly monitored my New Year's diet, so no harm no foul. She took 20% off our bill and we happily waddled off for our couples massage. My whole point to this very long-winded story is that sometimes you have to just let go of the little things. Would these thing normally bother us? Probably. But the beauty of each interaction we had, all in the same restaurant, was that they were genuine, caring people who really were trying to provide the best experience they could. And each was was vastly different. But charming, entertaining and the food was good at every single meal. I have a tradition of setting a mantra at the beginning of each year. Last year was all about strength - and, boy, did I need that! This year is different. I chose "Lean Into the Light" for this year based on a few things. 1.) People lean into people who provide light to their lives. Whether that be laughter, passion for what they do, positivity or even just a smile. I want to make sure that I spend a little time each day this year providing light to someones day. 2.) I want to surround myself with people (like you) that provide me light each day. That feed my passion and soul and help on the days like today when it's 10:44 pm and I find myself writing a blog after cooking a total of 16 different recipes in one day, dropping off meals to a fabulous client who provide me LOTS of light (thank you, Joy!) and teaching a cooking class. In ONE day... I point this out because even with quirks and stumbles, each of the people that we came into contact with during our stay provided a light- that drew us in and made up appreciate the experience, imperfections and all. And I hope we responded in kind and gave them some positivity on a holiday that they gave up to work, when people aren't always the nicest. Our New Year's reservation for next year is already made - hotel, spa AND restaurant. We can only hope that next year can live up to this year and provide the same level of fun, entertainment and great food. We plan on never leaving and eating there for three meals in a row all over again! And I hope we see some of the same great people next year, from the front desk to the restaurant. Appreciate the little things. Practice patience. Be kind. Move in grace. Lean into the light. Happy New Year!! P.S. It was -11 and we still got in the Hot Springs!! It takes more than that to stop us!

We hope you all had a great start to 2019! We know we did!! One of our goals for the year is to bring you new informative, educational content that will help you in your culinary adventures everyday. We're starting off with the beginning of our Herb & Spice Guide. This is a working document for us that we will be updating each time we teach a spice class. That way you will always have a handy reference to follow when you see new herbs and spices in our recipes that you may not be familiar with. We hope you find this as a useful tool and we'll also be updating and improving it as we go along. Don't forget to read to the bottom for some great spice blends that you can make right at home. Happy New Year!! Herb & Spice Guide Allspice (Pimenta): Nope, it’s not all the spiced mixed together! Allspice is the dried, unripe fruit of the Pimenta tree. It’s commonly called allspice because the flavor tastes of cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg. The Spanish deemed it pimenta because they often confused it with peppercorns. Amchur (Dried Mango Powder): Made of dried, green mangoes, amchur adds a citrusy, tart flavor with no sweetness. It is commonly used in Indian cooking to add flavor to curry, chutney, soups and marinades. Chili Powder, Ancho: Made from dried ancho chiles, this chili powder is moderately spicy and fruity. This is a pure ground pepper and not chili powder. Chili Powder, Chipotle: This chili powder is made of dried, smoked jalapenos. It is spicy with a smoky, sweet flavor. This is a pure ground pepper and not chili powder. Cardamom: Cardamom is the 2nd most expensive spice in the world. Made from a seed pod, it is pungent and aromatic. Over-used it can have a mouth numbing effect. We consider it a warm spice and commonly use it in Indian cooking and Scandinavian baked goods. Cassia: Cinnamon’s cousin, cassia is often called Chinese Cinnamon. It comes from the bark of an evergreen tree grown in Asia where the bark is often used in place of cinnamon. It has a very similar, but milder flavor as cinnamon. Chili de Arbol: The Chile de árbol is a small and potent Mexican chili pepper also known as bird's beak chile and rat's tail chile. Their heat index is between 15,000 - 30,000 Scoville units, making them a “hot” pepper. The peppers start out green and turn a bright red color as they mature. Cinnamon: Cinnamon is the inner bark found in several different tree species. It is removed and used whole or ground as a flavoring in the warm spice category. Many prefer using Vietnamese Cinnamon due to it’s innate sweetness and high oil content. Cloves: Cloves are a dried flower bud or an evergreen, native to Indonesia. Another one of our warm spices, it is often used in baking. However, it also has many savory applications in cooking in Asia, Africa and the Middle-East. This spice can be used either ground or whole (remove if left whole). Coriander: Coriander is the seed pod of the Cilantro plant. It has a lemony flavor also often referred to as warm, nutty & spicy. Crushed Red Pepper: Commonly made of cayenne pepper, crushed red pepper is a ubiquitous spice. It is made of dried and crushed peppers with the seeds left in. The variation in peppers across brands and bottles will impact the overall spice level of the pepper. Cumin: Cumin seeds are the seed of a flowering plant in the parsley family. Commonly used around the world, we see it here often in Southwestern and Mexican recipes. Cumin has a very distinctive flavor with an earthy, nutty, spicy taste with somewhat bitter undertones and a warm, penetrating aroma with hints of lemon. Cumin, Black: Black caraway or black cumin is also called kalonji or nigella, and more common in the Far East, Mideast, Bangladesh, India and Africa. The flavor profile differs from cumin with an almost perfumey floral flavor. Fenugreek Seeds (Methi): Fenugreek seeds come from the fenugreek plant. Both seeds and dried leaves are commonly used in cooking. It has a slightly sweet and nutty flavor with hints of maple and celery. Garlic Powder: Made of dried and ground garlic, garlic powder is best used in applications where you are making a shelf stable dry spice or want to avoid the texture of garlic in your dish. Ginger, Dry: Made from the dried root of a ginger plant. Ginger is a rhizome that has many health benefits. Spicy, sweet and fresh. This root is great in both baking and savory application. Dry Ginger is best used in applications where you are making a shelf stable dry spice or want to avoid the texture of garlic in your dish Gojujaru: A Korean pepper that brings the base flavor of pepper without heat, this spice is wonderful for adding deep and rich flavors to any dish, not just Korean food. Grains of Paradise: A species in the ginger family, grains of paradise are closely related to cardamom. It’s seeds are used as a spice (ground or whole), and commonly known as grains of paradise, melegueta pepper, alligator pepper, Guinea grains, ossame, or fom wisa; it imparts a pungent, black-pepper-like flavor with hints of citrus. Oregano: Dried leaves of the oregano plant, this is considered an herb and in common in cooking around the world. It comes from a flowering plant in the mint family and has a aromatic, musty, pungent flavor. Paprika, Smoked: Paprika is made from a dried sweet or bell pepper. Having no heat, this pepper powder brings a base layer of flavor to almost any dish. It can be found in many forms such as sweet, Hungarian and smoked. Peppercorns, Black: The fruit of a flowering vine, peppercorns bring spice, heat and a pungent flavor used in all cooking, most commonly paired together with salt. Sesame Seed: The seed of a flowering plant, sesame is the one of the oldest oilseed plants known to man. It has a rich, nutty flavor and high oil content. Sumac: Sumac comes from the fruit of a tree and has a lemony, citrusy flavor. Very common in African and Middle-Eastern cooking, sumac was also often used by Native Americans. The red sumac can be eaten, while the white sumac is poisionous. Thyme: An herb from a flowering plant, thyme is best associated with French cooking, but has been used around the world for thousands of years. It has a very herbaceous flavor with a hint of mint. Turmeric: Turmeric is best known for it’s use as a coloring agent. It’s bright yellow hue is often used to color cheese, dry fabrics and it’s even used in folk medicine. This rhizome is slightly bitter with a black-pepper flavor. It can be bitter if overused, but is a great anti-inflammatory as well as a natural anti-biotic. Gather Spice Blend Recipes (Click to see the recipe!): Taco Seasoning Curry Powder Berbere Dry Ranch Seasoning

Ingredients: · 2 tablespoons coriander seeds, toasted · 2.5 teaspoons black cumin seeds, toasted · 2 teaspoons fenugreek seeds, toasted · 2.5 teaspoons black peppercorns · 5 whole allspice · 2 chiles de arbol, toasted · 4 cloves, toasted · 3 cardamom pods, toasted · 1 tablespoons ginger, ground · ¾ teaspoon cinnamon · 2 teaspoons salt Preparation 1. Combine all spices in a spice grinder and blend until smooth.

Ingredients: 2 teaspoons dill, dried 2 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder 3 teaspoons onion, dried 2 1/2 teaspoons onion powder 2 1/2 tablespoons parsley, dried 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 1/2 cup powdered milk or powdered buttermilk Optional: 2 teaspoons chives, dried or fresh chives added just before serving Method: 1. Mix together all dry ingredients and store in airtight container. 2. To make ranch dressing mix 2 tablespoons dry mix with ½ cup mayo or greek yogurt and 1/3 cup buttermilk.

Ingredients: · 2 tablespoons whole coriander seeds · 1 tablespoons black cumin seeds · 1 cinnamon stick · 10 cardamom pods · 1 tablespoons fenugreek seeds · 1 teaspoon black peppercorns · 6 dried red chiles · 2 tablespoons turmeric Method: 1. Toast all ingredients in a skillet until fragrant. 2. Mix all ingredients in a spice grinder and grind into a powder.

Ingredients: · 1 tablespoon Ancho Chili Powder · 1 tablespoon Chipotle Chili Powder · ½ teaspoon garlic powder · 1 tablespoon ground cumin · 1 ½ teaspoons smoked paprika · 1 teaspoon ground coriander · ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper · ½ tsp oregano · 1-2 teaspoons kosher salt (to taste) · Optional: 2 teaspoons cornstarch Method: 1. Mix all ingredients in a bowl and store in an airtight container.

Ingredients: · 1 medium spaghetti squash · ¼ - ½ cup for roasting squash · Salt & Pepper to taste For the sauce: · ¼ C. extra virgin olive oil · 4 basil stems · 4 oregano stems · 4 parsley stems · ½ onion, fine dice · 4 cloves garlic, smashed · 1 lb Italian Sausage · Salt and Pepper · 1 (28oz.) can San Marzano Tomatoes, whole (crushed down by hand) · ½ cup shredded parmesan Method: 1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F. 2. Slice your spaghetti squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Place up on a baking sheet and fill with ¼ - 1/2 cup olive oil. Season with salt & pepper. 3. Roast for about 40 minutes, or until tender and easily pierced with a fork. 4. For pressure cooker method: Place 1 cup water in pressure cooker and place rack or trivet into pot. Place squash on top of rack, cut side up. Fill with same amount of olive oil and season with salt & pepper. Bring to high pressure and cook for 10 minutes. Let naturally release. 5. Brown the sausage in a pan over medium-high heat and remove. 6. Add the olive oil to the pan over medium heat. Add the basil, oregano, and parsley. Cook for 2-3 minutes without wilting the herbs. Remove and discard. Next add the onion and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 5-7 minutes, or until the onions are translucent. Add the sausage back to the pan. Add the tomatoes and simmer for 35-45 minutes or until thick. 7. Remove squash from shell and place into a bowl. Top with sauce and shredded parmesan. Enjoy!

Ingredients: · ¼ C. fresh berries, nuts or other desired add ins · 1/3 C. old fashioned oats · 1/3 C. milk · 1/3 C. Greek yogurt (you could also substitute regular vanilla yogurt and omit the honey if you prefer) · 1-2 tbs. of honey or agave to taste Instructions: 1. Add oats, milk, yogurt and honey to a pint jars. Shake to mix well. Add fruit and refrigerate overnight. 2. Serve cold or warm in the microwave (after removing the lid!)

Ingredients: 2 – 15 ounce cans black beans, rinsed and drained 1 – 6 ounce tomato paste 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock 1 onion, chopped 5 cloves garlic, minced 1 red bell pepper, chopped 1 jalapeno pepper (optional) 1 cup frozen corn 1 tablespoon chili powder 1 tablespoon cumin 1 teaspoon oregano 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into bite sized chunks 1 cup quinoa, rinsed Avocado, Cilantro, Green Onion and Greek Yogurt for garnish Salt & Pepper to taste Method: Read the recipe.  Did you read it?  Read it again… Season as you go – always tasting along the way and adding salt & pepper, as needed, to every layer. Heat the oil in a large heavy soup pot over medium low heat. Add onions, red pepper and jalapeno and cook until soft and they start to turn brown. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant. Add the tomato paste and cook until rust colored. Add chili powder, cumin, and oregano and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the beans, corn, stock and sweet potatoes. Cook for about 5 minutes, then add the quinoa. Continue cooking for about 15 minutes – 30 minutes, stirring frequently, until quinoa and sweet potatoes are cooked and the chili has thickened. Add a bit of water if the chili becomes too thick for your liking. Top with avocado, cilantro, green onions & Greek yougut. Enjoy!

Ingredients: 1/2 cup quick oats 3/4 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp salt 1/8 tsp baking soda 1 medium (1/2 cup) mashed over-ripe banana 1 can white beans 1/4 cup peanut butter or nut butter 1/4 cup pure maple syrup or honey 2 tsp pure vanilla extract optional handful mini chocolate chips, crushed walnuts, shredded coconut, pinch cinnamon, etc. Instructions Preheat the oven to 350 F and line 8-9 muffin cups. Drain the beans and rinse extremely well, then pat dry. This is important because it gets rid of any bean taste. Blend all ingredients until smooth in a blender or high-quality food processor. Pour into the muffin cups – don’t overfill or they will rise and then sink in the centers. Bake 20 minutes. They will look underdone – let sit 20 minutes and they will firm up.